Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Approaches to Sport and Exercise

Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Approaches to Sport and Exercise Critically discuss interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to sport and exercise science within the professional experience undertaken in term 1. Support your answers with relevant literature and theory The advance in sports professionalism and the increasing intensity of competition has made a scientific approach to sport vital to monitoring and improving performance (Campbel. 2007). British expertise in sport and exercise science is reflected in the growing number of postgraduate qualifications that offer the chance to study new and exciting developments. The applications of scientific principles are studied by examining three branches of science biomechanics, physiology and psychology although this knowledge is applied differently to each of the sport and exercise disciplines. Sport science largely offers expert scientific backup for top sport training and performance, while exercise science has a central role in physical programmes aimed at improving general health (Campbel.2007). The qualified sport and exercise scientist can expect to have a broad technical, physiological and psychological knowledge, and stands to benefit from current developments within the field offering a professional status. Although research within sport and exercise science is done in many different disciplines, the majority of published research is mono-disciplinary. Burwitz et al (1994) defined mono-disciplinary as a singular discipline in nature. A professional experience was undertaken to assess the approaches to inter and multi-disciplinary within sport and exercise science research. The experience was of a sport science nature which involved the participation of a newly created test, designed to monitor endurance performance. The test focused on heart rate response, ground contact times and oxygen uptake whilst running on a treadmill at sub maximal speeds. The data collected from this test will, as a result, be used to better the understanding of factors that contribute to endurance performance and importantly to easily be able to measure these factors. A similar study created by Blackadar et al (2001) found that the measurements of ground contact times and heart rate response during level runnin g at chosen speed can provide accurate estimates of maximal aerobic power. Carpenter and Ledger (2004) suggests that an understanding of physiological factors is essential for anyone involved in sport (coach or performer), appreciation of this is vital in developing effective training programmes and optimising performance. This essay will outline what multi and interdisciplinary approaches to sport and exercise science are. It will then delineate how the two approaches can be applied to the professional experience undertaken. An Interdisciplinary approach within sport and exercise science involves a partnership of coaches with sport and exercise scientists such as physiologists or psychologists. Miles et al (1997) defines an interdisciplinary approach as more than one area of sport and exercise science working together in an integrated and co-ordinated manner to solve a problem. Interdisciplinary research needs to involve a strong integration of information from more than one sub-discipline of sport and exercise science from the outset of a particular research programme (Burwitz et al. 1994). Williams and James (2001) developed a model to demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches, where the goal of the sport or exercise is affected by each area involved. Multidisciplinary research involves less integration of the sub-disciplines of sport and exercise science. Each discipline tends to work in parallel on a common topic (Burwitz et al. 1994). Just like interdisciplinary, it involves more than one sport working together but the difference being they work together in an isolated, unitary and co-ordinated manner (Miles et al 1997). In a multidisciplinary approach each discipline will look for problems to a solution from within only that discipline, for example, a physiologist will look at how the body responds to exercise; each discipline will then assemble their findings. Alternatively in an interdisciplinary approach, the physiologist may work together with a biomechanist to look at if rate of fatigue changes with different technique (Burwitz et al. 1994). The deficient in the integration of sub-disciplines from the outset of sport and exercise science may be resultant to the multidisciplinary research, thus, making it harder to integra te them together whilst trying to bring about an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving. The majority of sport and exercise science research is mono-disciplinary (Burwitz et al 1994) but introducing the involvement of multi and interdisciplinary research will help to improve the overall standard of research. It will bond together more than one discipline of sport and exercise science such as physiology and biomechanics, consequently, improving the ability to solve problems such as injury, fatigue and poor technique. More than one approach working together as a team will combine their knowledge and methods from their different areas to be able to solve a problem. Regardless of these resemblances, fundamental disparities between the two stated approaches are still apparent. Interdisciplinary approaches look to be the best in terms of bringing about improvements as it incorporates the disciplines which take the form of ‘bridge-building (Squires et al 1975). This requires an amalgamation of expert knowledge from diverse disciplines concentrating on a precise problem. Contrastingly, multidisciplinary approaches gather rather than combine knowledge; consequently the sub-disciplines work independently during the research processes before coming together to reach a conclusion about a stated problem (Burwitz et al 1994). Burwitz et al (1994) believes that an interdisciplinary approach will disclose possible conflicts between the disciplines. As there are direct dealings among sub-disciplines, a view given by one area could be disputed by another. This is less likely to occur in multi-disciplinary approaches as the disciplines do not work in dir ect contact with one another. Despite the above examples, no clear definition is given of the distinctions between the two approaches because many sport and exercise scientists have regarded multi and inter-disciplinary as synonymous terms (Burwitz et al 1994). The professional experience undertaken was involved with sport science; Smith (2001) describes sport science as being characterised by collaborations with coaches and performance directors. The experience undertaken was first and foremost a physiological approach. Researchers have amassed so much knowledge about physical activity that it is now a separate academic field of study within the biological sciences (Katch et al 2000). Physiology of exercise can be defined as the study of how the body responds and adapts to exercise and importantly identifies physiological characteristics that explain rather than simply describe performance and also focus on ways to improve performance (Bromley et al 2007). Middle distance running is a sport that utilises this definition very well. In this event, oxidative phosphorylation represents the principal energy-producing metabolic pathway and, therefore, it is not surprising that the parameters of fitness which correlate most closely with performance are those related to oxygen uptake (VO2max), the various oxygen uptake required to run at different speeds (running economy), and the oxygen uptake that can be sustained without appreciable accumulation of lactate in the blood (Jones. 1998). Understanding the pr inciples of these factors will contribute to improving endurance performance, and as a result enable an athlete to overcome these issues and improve them. During the professional experience questions were put to the researcher regarding the involvement of other disciplines to determine the dimension of the research. These questions were: ‘are there any other areas of sport and exercise science e.g. biomechanist, psychologist, etc, other than yourself (a physiologist) present to help assess the data gathered from the research? ‘Will the results of the research be collated with other disciplines and fed back to the performer? The response from the questions asked clearly demonstrated that the research being carried out was of a mono-disciplinary nature as there was no interaction with other disciplines of sport science. As discussed, an increase in the need from multi or interdisciplinary in sport and exercise science, would have much improved this study as more than one a re of sport and exercise science being involved would have given feedback to an athlete, therefore increasing the value. The research itself was looking at the reliability and validity of a heart rate by looking at its response to ground contact times whilst running on a treadmill to see if it can be used to predict endurance performance. As well as being assessed physiologically, the researcher may have advised the athlete to be assessed by a biomechanist, this may show results that running technique could affect fatigue, for example, the biomechanist could get the athlete to run over a force plate, and the force generated on the plate could show that too much force is being exerted and as a result making you fatigue more quickly. This could then be fed back to the physiologist whereby a solution could be put together to rectify this and therefore the enabling the athlete to have a better running efficiency. This would create an interdisciplinary approach as more than one disciplin e is working together in an integrated fashion thus improving feedback to the athlete and as a result give the athlete a much better chance of improving performance. The professional experience undertaken was shown to be mono-disciplinary as it was a test focusing solely on the physiological changes of an athlete whilst performing a treadmill run. As discussed above, introducing further dimensions may have been more beneficial to the athlete as they receive more feedback of ways to improve. However the test was a funded study by a recognised middle distance running corporation (The British Milers Club) to specifically look at the monitoring of endurance performance and the introduction of other disciplines may have confused the findings and taken away the aims of the study.

Coase(1972) †durable and monopoly[2] Essay

R. H. COASE Universityof ChicagoLaw School that A SSUME a supplier owns the total stock of a completely durable good. At what price will he sell it? To take a concrete example, assume that one person owns all the land in the United States and, to simplify the analysis, that all land is of uniform quality. Assume also that the landowner is not able to work the land himself, that ownership of land yields no utility and that there are no costs involved in disposing of the land. If there were a large number of landownersand the price were competitively determined, the price would be that at which the amount demandedwas equal to the amount of land in the United States. If we imagine this fixed supply of land to be various amounts either greater or smaller, and then discover what the competitively determinedprice would be, we can trace out the demand schedule for American land. Assume that this demand schedule is DD and that from this a marginal revenue schedule, MR, has been derived. Both schedules are shown in Figure I. Let the total amount of land in existence be OQ. Then, if the price were competitively determined,the price would be OB (see Figure I). We now have to determine the price which the monopolistic landowner would charge for a unit of land in the assumed conditions. The diagramwould seem to suggest (and has, I believe, suggested to some) that such a monopolistic landownerwould charge the price OA, would sell the quantity of land OM, thus maximising his receipts, and would hold off the market the quantity of land, MQ. But suppose that he did this. MQ land and money equal to OA X OM would be in the possession of the original landowner while OM land would be owned by others. In these circumstances, why should the original landownercontinue to hold MQ off the market? The original landownercould obviously improve his position by selling more land since he could by this means acquire more money. It is true that this would reduce the value of the land OM owned by those who had previously bought land from him-but the loss would fall on them, not on him. If the same assumption about his behaviour was made as before, he would then sell part of MQ. But this is not the end of the story, since some of MQ would still remain unsold. The process would continue as long as the original landowner retained any land, that is, until OQ had been sold. And if there were no costs of disposing of the land, the whole process would take place in the twinkling of an eye. 143 144 THE JOURNAL OF LAW AND ECONOMICS Figure D I z mj A † _ o Q : D 0 M Q QUANTITY MR It might be objected to this supposedbehaviourunder which land is sold in separate transactions involving blocks of land, probably of diminishing size, that it would be even better if the landowner sold the land by infinitesimal units, thus maximising his total revenue. But this is neither here nor there. Whatever the intermediatesteps are assumed to be, OQ land will be sold. And given that OQ is going to be sold, the value of a unit of land is going to be OB and given this, no buyer of land will pay more than OB for it. Although the demand schedule may be correctly drawn in that, if the quantity of land is OM, the price would be OA, the landownerwould find himself in the position that, if he were charged more than OB, he would sell nothing. The demand schedule facing the original landowner would be infinitely elastic at the competitive price and this even though he was the sole supplier. With complete durability, the price becomes independent of the number of suppliers and is thus always equal to the competitive price. DURABILITYAND MONOPOLY 145 How could the landowner avoid this result? He could do this and obtain the price OA from the sale of OM land by making special contractual arrangements with the purchasersof land by which, as a condition of sale, he agreed to hold unsold in perpetuity the quantity of land MQ. Alternatively, he could agree to buy back any land that was offered to him in the future at a price just under OA, thus making it against his interest to sell more than OM land. Another way in which essentially the same result could be obtained would be for the landowner not to sell the land but to lease it for relatively short periods of time. It would then be comparatively easy for him to assure lessees that no increasein supply will occur during the lease period either by entering into all leases at the same point in time, or by announcing that he would not change the rental price during the lease period or by agreeing to adjust the prices charged to existing lessees if a lower charge is made to others during the lease period. In any case, even if such contractual arrangementscannot be made, lessees have some reason to believe that the landownerwill not, in fact, lease more than OM land by charging lower prices for some of the unutilised land (after having entered into contracts at OA) because it would not be in his self-interest to do so. With this kind of leasing, the total earnings of the landowner depend largely on the rents at which land can be leased in future periods and the yield from these rents will tend to be higher the greater the confidence the lessees have that the amount of land leased during the lease period will not be more than OM. That confidence would obviously be weakened and the rent that could be charged in future reduced, if extra land above OM is leased during the current lease period. It is this which would tend to give lessees confidence that such extra land will not be leased. Of course, the negotiating of such rental contracts for short periods for each piece of land might be extremely costly and indeed might be so costly as to offset the gain in revenue from the limitation in the amount of land utilised. But, if not too costly, leasing would tend to ensure that only OM land was utilised. Another alternative would be for the landowner to give MQ land to someone who is less concernedabout money-makingthan he is. For example, the landowner might donate MQ land to the government to be used â€Å"in the public interest†. Some such contractual or institutional arrangementsas these would enable the landowner to charge the monopoly price. But in the absence of such arrangements,the price charged will be the competitive price. It may be thought that this argument does not apply if the permanently durable good is produced by a monopolist supplier rather than being part of nature. But this is not so. Assume that the demand schedule for this good is DD, representingthe present value of its future services for various quantities of the good. Assume that it is produced by a single firm and that marginal costs are constant. MR representsthe marginal revenue schedule and MC the 146 THE JOURNAL OF LAW AND ECONOMICS marginalcost schedule. All schedulesare shown in Figure II. Cost and demand conditions are assumed to remain the same in the future. In effect, this means that if the competitive output, OQ, is produced originally, nothing will be producedin later periods. A similar argument to that used in the case of the landowner will demonstrate that the price that this producer will charge (assuming outright sale) will not be OA, the apparentmonopolyprice, but will be OB, since the demand for his output of this good is infinitely elastic at this price up to the output OQ. Again, it is possible to introduce conditions into the contract for sale which would avoid this. An agreement not to produce any more of the good afterOM has been produced,an offer to buy back the good at any time in the future at a price just under OB, or the use of leasing rather than outright sale, would all have the effect of making it possible to charge OA (just as similararrangementswould enable the monopolist landowner to achieve the monopoly price). Figure 1T A QB CL MC 0 /l M IA ! Q M-r-rvMR ~U-lM 11 I DURABILITYAND MONOPOLY 147 Some of these arrangementsmay not be legally enforceableand, in any case, are likely to involve additional costs as against those incurredin outright sale. There is, however, an alternative which was not available to the hypothetical landownerand that is to make the good less durable. This may raise the costs of providing the stream of services affordedby the durable good, may result in charges over the future which have a present value greater than OA and a supply of services less than that affordedby OM of the durable good. Profits will also be less than they would be if this firm could sell OM at price OA. But this is not a real alternative in the absence of the various contractual arrangementsmentioned. If the durable good is produced, the output will be OQ at price OB. If a less durable good is produced, a higher price can be charged because consumers do not have to fear an increase in supply if they buy at the monopoly price. The productionof a less durable good as against a more durable good is very similar to a policy of leasing since, by making the good less durable,the producersells the services providedby the good for short periods of time (because the good wears out) whereas in leasing the same result is achieved by selling the services of a given durable good in short period segments. The reason why making a good less durable enables a producer to charge higher prices than he could if the good were extremely durable is that it makes it in his self-interest not to increase supply since, if he did this, it would tend to lead consumers to believe that he might do this again in the future, a belief which would make it impossible for him to charge the monopoly price (as was explained in the case of land for leasing). Another circumstance reinforces the conclusion that making a good less durable will enable the monopolist producer to charge a higher price. What a consumer has to fear is an increasein supply during the period in which he (or someone to whom he transfers the good) is deriving services from the good. The less durable the good, the shorter is this period. But the shorter the period that the supplierhas in which to increase supply, the greater will be the additional costs of increasing supply. Lessened durability reduces the gain from an increase in supply and thus reduces the likelihood that it will occur. The analysis up to this point has proceededon the assumption that marginal costs were constant for the durable good. It needs modification if marginal costs rise with increases in the rate of output. With constant marginal costs, production would take place in the first period and would then cease. With rising marginalcosts, productionwould extend over a period of time, although, since price would fall as the stock of the durable good increased, the rate of production would decrease as time passed. Since sales occur sequentially, in setting the price in later periods, the producer will not take into account the fall in the value of the existing stock (which is, of course, owned by others). To this extent the behaviourof the producerwill inevitably be com- 148 THE JOURNAL OF LAW AND ECONOMICS petitive in character and the stock (and price) will move towards the competitive level. Because of this, consumers will pay less (and the producer’s profits will be less), than they would if, throughan agreementas to the total quantity that could be produced or an agreement on a re-purchaseprice or through the use of leasing, production were limited to the monopoly output. Reducing the durability of the good is an alternative policy which might be more profitable (as was argued in the case of constant marginal costs). There is an additional element introduced by the fact that production will continue over a period of time. The producerwill have to consider the effect his actions have on the expectations of consumersabout his actions in future periods. He can in general be counted upon to refrain from expanding output when any gain that he might make through disappointingconsumers’expectations (if they thought he would restrict production) would be less than the loss he would suffer in future from not fulfilling them. However, there is no reason why conditions should not be such that it would always pay to disappoint consumers’expectations of a restrictionin output (if they held such expectations) and in such circumstances,output in all periods would be such as to make marginalcost equal to price (if some of the arrangementsmentioned earlierwere not used). This result is particularly likely since, in the assumed conditions of rising marginal costs, prices and production will decline over time. Even in conditions in which the producer would not wish to disappoint consumers’expectations of a restrictionin production, it is by no means easy to say how things would work out in practice since neither the producer nor the consumers would necessarily have clear, or the same, ideas about the future. A full analysis of this situation would be very complicated but could not affect the main contention of this note, that with durability some contractualor institutional arrangementof the type mentioned earlier may be a less costly and perhaps the only way of achieving a monopoly price or that reduceddurability may prove to be a better way out of the difficulty. Oneother qualification should be mentioned. The analysis up to this point has assumed that demand and cost conditions remained unchanged, in effect, that the economy was in a stationary state. The present value of any given amountof the durablegood will always take into account future demands,but if demand remains the same, the present value of its future services (for any givenamount of the durablegood) will remain the same as time passes. However,with increasing demands present values will rise and future production will be greater than has been assumed (with constant marginal costs there willbe some future productionas against none). This enhances the importance ofthe considerationsdiscussed in the previous paragraph,since the future loss fromnot restricting output will tend to be greater. Whether the expected increasein demand would be sufficient to lead the producer to restrict output DURABILITYAND MONOPOLY 149 in earlier periods depends on its extent, on the rate of discount, on the nature of the cost schedule, on whether costs are expected to increase in the meantime (and by how much) and on the confidencewith which these views about the future are held. An expected increase in demand may or may not obviate the need for the contractual arrangementsmentioned earlier (or a reduction in durability) if the monopolist producer of a durable good is to secure the monopoly price. The business practices which I have suggested as devices which a monopolist supplier might use to cope with the problem of durability may, of course, be adopted for reasons which have nothing to do with my argument. A land developer, in selling land on which houses are to be built, may agree to hold neighbouringland off the market to improve the amenities; the supplier of a durable good may agree to buy it back at some specified price in the future because consumers are willing to pay for this reduction in risk; leasing is often a less costly way for the consumer to obtain the services of a durable good; a reduction in durability may enable a supplier to provide a given stream of services at lower cost. Even when these practices are adopted to avoid the consequencesof durability on demand, they are not necessarily undesirable-an agreementnot to produce more than a certain quantity may be a necessary condition in the competitive supply of a durable good for which marginalcost is less than average cost. Nevertheless, these business practices, including reduced durability, may be essential elements in securing a monopolistic price. However, these practices have their costs and they may not, in fact, always be feasible. Furthermore,some of the contractual arrangements will not be enforceable over a long period. In such circumstances, the competitive outcome may be achieved even if there is but a single supplier.

Beethoven Pastoral Symphony Essay

Beethoven was one of the pivotal composers that helped music evolve from the Classical period into the age of Romanticism. When discussing Beethoven’s success in classical compositions, his symphonies are at the forefront of most if not every conversation. However, even within the topic of his symphonies, some are naturally highlighted more than others. For example, one could reproduce the melody from either the opening movement of the Fifth or the finale of the Ninth and a majority of people would be able to recognize them. While these two works were revolutionary in the progression of symphonic music, they were not the only ones to have played important roles in this sense. Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony is a pivotal work in the expansion of music with programmatic characteristics. However, this symphony is one that sways between the realms of absolute and program music, for it can be identified with both categories of symphonic music. While it is highly unlikely that Beethoven viewed this composition as a truly programmatic piece, the Sixth Symphony has played an important role in the development of the symphony as a genre and influenced future composers of program music as well. In order to discuss the significance of the Pastoral Symphony, one must first shed light on the difference of program music from that of absolute music. Author R. W. S. Mendl describes absolute music as being â€Å"that which gives us pleasure by the sheer delight in sound patterns without having any emotional, pictorial, or literary references† and claims that music with programmatic content â€Å"attempt[s] to represent scenes, objects, or events which exist apart from music.† It is hard to gauge the amount of programmatic works prior to the Pastoral Symphony, simply due to the fact that the term â€Å"program music† was not used as a defining category of music at the time of their release. An estimated eighth of all symphonic works that were presented before Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony were composed with the intent of conveying particular images or scenes. It would seem that with such a small percentage of varying works that were composed to contain prog rammatic ideas, labeling these works with a universal genre proved to be somewhat difficult. With the expansion of this style of writing, naturally the encompassing term â€Å"program music† would become associated with such pieces. Around the time of Beethoven’s composing, music was undergoing a shift from the Classical period into an age of Romanticism. Compositions were expanding in numerous ways regarding form, orchestration, and harmonies that were being implemented. Beethoven has been called â€Å"the innovator who broke through the limitations of Classicism without abandoning them.† This is truly evident through his symphonic writing. While on the cusp of the Romantic era, it became evident to him that the stature of absolute music was on the rise. Lewis Lockwood states that from a compositional aspect, Beethoven looked down upon ‘program music’ for its seemingly shallow representation of actual sounds and lack of originality. In response to this rising style of music, he composed the Pastoral Symphony with the intent of merging illus trative ideas of programmatic music with the structure of absolute music. Beethoven successfully achieved a blend of programmatic and absolute ideas with this symphony, in order to create an overall pastoral feeling of nature rather than depict any specific image. While the symphony and its five movements are labeled with titles that were created by Beethoven himself, he believed that the overall pastoral idea of this work could be perceived by the audience without a description that would usually be necessary with a complete program piece. It is this idea that helped Beethoven create the title as it can be viewed on early sketches, â€Å"Pastoral Symphony or Memories of Country Life: More the Expression of Feeling than Tone-Painting.† It would appear that Beethoven intended to create a general mood that expresses the idea of nature rather than rely on specific images or one precise story to achieve this. Despite Beethoven’s general feelings towards program music and his conscious efforts to claim that the Sixth Symphony was more a collection of overall feelings rather than an attempt at creating one specific image, this piece is neither absolute or programmatic music but a blend of the two styles. The first point in this argument would be the fact that Beethoven attached titles to each of the five movements within this symphony that depict certain scenes associated with pastoral ideas. The headings for the movements are as follow: ‘Pleasant feelings which are awakened in mankind on arrival in the country’, ‘Scene by the brook’, ‘Joyful fellowship of country folk’, ‘Thunder and Storm’, and ‘Beneficent feeling after the storm joined with thanks to the deity’. The mere fact that this symphony is the only one of his nine to contain subtitles attached to each movement that describe a scene of nature favors the thought of the symphony being more programmatic than absolute. However, if one were to look past the movement headings and take into consideration the content of the music, one would observe that the first two movements contain very little defined imagery. From an analytical perspective of the form, the first ha lf of the symphony is rather conventional and resembles the absolute approach to music. These movements hold true to the subheading for the symphony in regards to creating overall feelings rather than one precise painting or story. While there are compositional devices used to help convey the pastoral feeling within the first half of the symphony, it is not until the end of the second movement that Beethoven truly utilizes extra musical associations to convey imagery. This andante movement entitled ‘Scene by the brook’ ends with the flute, oboe, and clarinet engaged in a coda while imitating birdcalls. The composer himself labeled these three woodwind voices as a nightingale, a quail, and a cuckoo, respectively. These birdcalls have led to several debates, discussions, and even complete articles that attempt to analyze the true meaning of their existence in the piece. No matter how they are interpreted, one fact remains still. The birdcalls act as segues from the symphonic first half to the more programmatic portion of the piece. The second half of the Sixth Symphony ventures away from conventional symphonic composing techniques found in the first two movements and includes more programmatic material. A strong indication of programmatic material resides within the later half of the symphony, where Beethoven includes several pastoral elements to enhance the musical imagery. The third movement consists of excited melodies in a compound-meter stylized scherzo representing country-dances. There are several points within this movement that have a drone in the bass that has been viewed as a depiction of bagpipes, an instrument that was frequently associated with the representation of pastoral ideas. This jovial dance-like movement transitions into the fourth movement, which resembles a storm. The storm is â€Å"clearly an example of tone-painting† with its explosive minor chords that represent thunder and lightning and the constant patter of rain in the strings’ lines. Another significant feature added to the symphony that aids the pastoral image is the use of a ranz des vaches in the final movement. The ranz des vaches was an alpine horn call that herdsmen used to summon cattle. Author, David Wyn Jones notes in his book that â€Å"common features of ranz des vaches melodies are: triadic motion, dotted 6/8 meter†¦frequent use of grace notes, all harmonized mainly by the tonic triad.† While looking at the horn call that Beethoven uses within his symphony, one would notice that it meets all of the criteria that Jones listed. The imagery associated with the Pastoral Symphony depicts scenes from nature, which was a subject close to Beethoven’s heart. Through journal entries and letters, one can deduce Beethoven’s love for nature. The following is a letter to Austrian musician and friend, Therese Malfatti in 1810 that depicts his feelings about the outdoors: How fortunate you are to have been able to go to the country so early in the year! Not before the 8th shall I be able to enjoy this delight: I look forward to it with childish anticipation. How glad I shall be to wander about amidst shrubs, forests, trees, herbs and rocks! No man can love the country as I do. For it is forests, trees and rocks that provide men with the resonance they desire. Through this letter and several other firsthand records, one can clearly see Beethoven’s infatuation for the outdoors and the justifiable reason to compose a piece that commemorates this love. It makes sense that the first large-scale work that includes extensive amounts of imagery would reflect the thing that he admired most. Along with the simple beauty of nature, there were other factors that influenced Beethoven while writing his Sixth Symphony. The inclusion of nature and rustic ideas within music was not uncommon to composers prior to Beethoven. Pastoral subjects could be found in several theatrical presentations, operas, and intermezzo from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries. One notable work that inspired the development of the Pastoral Symphony was an oratorio written by Franz Joseph Haydn, his teacher and mentor early on in his composing career. Haydn’s oratorio, The Seasons, had an impact on Beethoven while he wrote his Sixth Symphony. Haydn incorporates arpeggiated horn calls in the aria â€Å"Der muntre Hirt† that begin â€Å"a sequence of summer scenes that will [eventually lead] to the storm† later in the oratorio. Similarly, Beethoven opens the fifth and final movement of his symphony with an arpeggiated melody in the French horns that subsequently signify the end of the storm that took place in the previous movement. Another example of musical quotation that Beethoven purposely incorporated is an oboe melody that â€Å"has long been understood as a quotation from Bach’s chorale ‘Birch an, o Schà ¶nes Morgenlicht,’ from the second part of the Christmas Oratorio†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It is worth mentioning that prior to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, there had been other symphonic works to contain sections that resemble thunderstorms. Several commentaries on the Pastoral and its development discuss the 18th century German composer, Justin Heinrich Knecht and his piece entitled La Portrait musical de la nature. This work seems to contain similar programmatic ideas as that of Beethoven’s symphony, including a thunderstorm that interrupts the overall peaceful feeling of nature that resumes after the storm. In addition to preceding compositions that influenced Beethoven’s writings, there has been the suggestion for the possible influence from the literary writings of Scottish poet James Thomson, mostly that of his well known poems collectively titled â€Å"The Seasons†. While there is no concrete evidence that Beethoven took inspiration from this poem, some scholars feel that the poem possibly had an underlying effect on the outcome of the Pastoral Symphony. The text of the poem discusses nature, progressing through the four seasons starting with spring and ending with winter. The poem was translated to German in 1745 and served as a basis for Haydn’s oratorio that shares the same name. As discussed earlier, Beethoven drew inspiration from Haydn’s oratorio, so it would seem that he was indirectly influenced from the poetry of James Thomson for this reason even if he had no connection to the actual literature itself. So far there have been factors that support both sides of the argument in trying to define the Pastoral Symphony as either a work of absolute music, or one depicting tone painting. The mere fact that the piece contains an appropriate amount of material that justifies both categories, one should agree that this work could be viewed as the perfect synthesis of the two sides of the symphonic spectrum. The next step in understanding the influence that the Pastoral Symphony had on future composers of both absolute and programmatic works would naturally be to look at the general reception of the premiere of this piece. The Sixth Symphony received its first public performance on December 22nd, 1808 along with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Beethoven worked on these two symphonies simultaneously in the years leading up to this concert. At this time however, the symphonies were labeled opposite of what they are viewed as today, which means that the Pastoral was written and performed as Beethoven’s fifth symphony, while the C-minor was viewed as his sixth. Over the course of time it would seem as though the Fifth Symphony has overpowered the Pastoral in the minds of audience members. While this may be true to some extent today, at the time, critics were singing praises to this wonderful portrayal of nature through melody and harmony. A review of the score in the musical journal of the time, Allgemeine musikalishce Zeitung, was typical in saying such things as â€Å"this work of Beethoven, wonderful, original, and full of life, which can be placed without hesitation besides his other masterworks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When comparing it to other compositions that focused on imagery of programmatic material, one critic claimed that â€Å"none of the musical paintings known until now can withstand comparison†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Overall, the piece was welcomed positively and viewed as a representation for composers who desired to use programmatic features. Some of the compositional styles that would soon develop through the Romantic period can trace influence from Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony. When discussing compositions that drew inspiration from the Pastoral Symphony, one should mention Hector Berlioz’s programmatic work, Symphonie Fantastique. As a composer, Berlioz was an advocate for music with more programmatic tendencies and was viewed as a radical composer during his time. At one point in his career, Berlioz wrote critical reviews of Beethoven’s nine symphonies. When discussing the Sixth, he used descriptions such as, â€Å"delightful phrases [that] greet you, like the perfumed morning breeze† as well as â€Å"swarms of chattering birds in flight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With such joyous descriptions that Berlioz gave, it comes as no surprise that he would find inspiration from this piece for his own writing. Author, Owen Jander views the second movement in Beethoven’s symphony entitled â€Å"Scene by t he Brook† as an obvious â€Å"point of departure for the ‘Scene in the Meadows’ in Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique†. As mentioned earlier, Beethoven’s second movement has been the topic of several discussions concerning the Sixth Symphony, specifically, the imitation of birdcalls that can be found at the close of the movement. Jander believes the calls to symbolize Beethoven’s acceptance of his growing deafness and his own fate. If one is to agree with this interpretation, then the connection to Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique becomes one that is easy to accept. Berlioz’s third movement, entitled â€Å"Scene in the Meadows† opens with the English horn and the oboe representing two shepherds that are calling to one another. At the end of the movement, one of the â€Å"shepherds† return once more but is not joined by the other, but is instead replaced by the distant roll of thunder heard in the timpani. Those familiar with the piece and its program know that the concluding two movements that follow represent a personal hell and damnation for the protagonist. The connection between both that of Beethoven’s and Berlioz’s works would be the idea that both composers are aware of their own fate and accept it through the illustration of music. Another composer that was potentially influenced by the Pastoral Symphony was that of the German opera composer, Richard Wagner. As just discussed, it would seem that the second movement of Beethoven’s work is to represent the â€Å"realization of one’s destiny through nature†. In Wagner’s opera, Siegfried, there are scenes within the second act that take place in the forest. In which, the main character, Siegfried learns of his destiny from the ability to understand a forest bird. This situation is the exact opposite from that of Beethoven’s, where the composer realizes his destiny through the discovery that he can no longer hear. Two compositions that were separated by nearly one hundred years, both contain similar imagery that represents a person’s realization and acceptance of their destiny through nature. The chances of this being a coincidence seem rather unlikely. To say that that Beethoven’s Pastoral inspired Wagner’s us e of nature within this opera would be a fair conclusion. When discussing Beethoven, the Sixth Symphony may not be a piece that comes to mind right away; one might rather recall themes from other symphonies by him. However, the importance of this piece in the evolution of the symphony as a genre is too important to go overlooked. The mere fact that out of the nine symphonies that Beethoven wrote, the Sixth was the only one to receive a programmatic title and descriptive scenes attached to the movements is an indication at the significance of this work. It may not have directly influenced several composers in the years that followed as far as content is concerned, but Beethoven’s ability to combine aspects of program music with the absoluteness of a symphony opened the door to possibilities for future composers on both sides of the spectrum.

Cause and Effect Outline Practice Exercise

Here well practice making a simple outline: a list of the key points in a paragraph or essay. This basic outline can help us revise a composition by showing at a glance if we need to add, remove, change, or rearrange any supporting details. Why Outlines are Useful Some writers use outlines to develop a first draft, but this approach can be tricky: how can we organize our information before weve figured out what we want to say? Most writers need to start writing (or at least freewriting) in order to discover a plan. Whether you use an outline for drafting or revising (or both), you should find it a useful way to develop and organize your ideas in paragraphs and essays. Cause and Effect Paragraph Lets begin by reading a students cause-and-effect paragraph, Why Do We Exercise?, and then well arrange the students key points in a simple outline. Why Do We Exercise? These days, just about everyone, from toddler to retiree, seems to be running, pedaling, lifting weights, or performing aerobics. Why are so many people exercising? There are several reasons. Some people, the ones in designer jump suits, exercise simply because keeping in shape is trendy. The same people who a few years ago thought doing drugs was cool are now just as seriously involved in self-conditioning. Other people exercise to lose weight and appear more attractive. The paunchy crowd is willing to undergo extreme self-torture in the name of beauty: thin is in. Finally, there are those who exercise for their health. Regular, intensive exercise can strengthen the heart and lungs, build endurance, and improve the bodys immunity system. In fact, judging from my observations, most people who exercise probably do so for a combination of these reasons. Cause and Effect Paragraph Outline Now heres a simple outline of the paragraph: Opening: Everyone is exercising.Question: Why are so many people exercising?Reason 1: Be trendy (exercise is cool)Reason 2: Lose weight (thin is in)Reason 3: Stay healthy (heart, endurance, immunity)Conclusion: People exercise for a combination of reasons. As you can see, the outline is just another form of listing. The opening and question are followed by three reasons, each expressed in a brief phrase and followed in parenthesis by an equally brief explanation. By arranging the main points in a list and using key phrases rather than complete sentences, we have reduced the paragraph to its basic structure. Cause and Effect Outline Exercise Now try it yourself. The following cause-and-effect paragraph, Why Do We Stop at Red Lights?, is followed by the plan for a simple outline. Complete the outline by filling in the main points given in the paragraph. Why Do We Stop at Red Lights? Say its two in the morning with not a policeman in sight, and you approach an empty intersection marked by a red light. If youre like most of us, you stop and wait for the light to turn green. But why do we stop? Safety, you might say, though you can see perfectly well that its quite safe to cross. Fear of being nabbed by a sneaky police officer is a better reason, but still not very convincing. After all, the police dont generally make a habit of setting up road traps in the dead of night. Perhaps we are just good, law-abiding citizens who wouldnt dream of committing a crime, even though obeying the law in this case does seem faintly ridiculous. Well, we may claim to be following the dictates of our social conscience, but another, less high-minded reason probably underlies it all. We stop at that red light out of dumb habit. We probably dont consider whether its safe or unsafe to cross, right or wrong; we stop because we always stop at red lights. And, of course, even if we were to think about it as we idled there at the intersection, the light would probably turn green before we could come up with a good reason for why we do what we do. Fill out the simple outline for Why Do We Stop at Red Lights?: Opening: __________Question: __________?Reason 1: __________Reason 2: __________Reason 3: __________Reason 4: __________Conclusion: __________ Completed Cause and Effect Outline Now compare your outline with the completed version of the simple outline for Why Do We Stop at Red Lights? Opening:Â  Red light at two a.m.Question:Â  Why do we stop?​Reason 1:Â  Safety (though we know its safe)Reason 2:Â  Fear (though police arent around)Reason 3:Â  Social conscience (maybe)Reason 4:Â  Dumb habit (most likely)Conclusion:Â  We have no good reason. Once you have practiced creating a few simple outlines, youre ready to move on to the next step: evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the paragraph you have outlined.